Vegan Yum Yum (4 page)

Scones

step 1
Preheat the oven to 400 ºF.

step 2
In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and lemon zest.

step 3
In a different bowl, mix together the syrup, soy milk, and lemon juice.

step 4
Using a pastry cutter or a fork, blend the margarine into the dry ingredients until there are no chunks of margarine left and the mixture looks like damp sand.

step 5
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with your hands to form a soft dough. Mix just until combined, adding more flour if the mixture is too wet.

step 6
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll or pat into a
-inch-thick slab. Using a biscuit cutter or a glass with a 2-inch diameter, cut out the scones. Press the scraps of dough together, roll out again, and continue cutting the scones until you've used up the dough.

Ingredients

Clotted Cream:

4 tablespoons Earth Balance margarine

4 tablespoons Tofutti Better than Cream Cheese

2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Scones:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

Zest of 1 lemon

3 tablespoons maple syrup

½ cup soy milk

2 tablespoons lemon juice

cup Earth Balance margarine

Fresh blueberries or jam, to serve

Lemon Glaze:

¼ cup soy milk

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon powdered sugar

step 7
Transfer the scones to a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper or a nonstick mat.

step 8
Make a lemon glaze by mixing together the soy milk, lemon juice, and powdered sugar. Brush the tops of the scones with the glaze before baking.

step 9
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes. If the scones aren't lightly brown after 15 minutes, transfer to the broiler for 1 to 2 minutes, watching carefully, to brown the tops if desired. Remove to a cooling rack.

step 10
While still warm, split and slather each side with the clotted cream. Add fresh berries or jam to the top and serve with your favorite tea.

Chard Florentine on Toast Points

W
hile not the most healthful way to eat your greens, it's certainly one of the tastier ways. And hey, you technically are eating greens! My husband Stewart is not a huge fan of chard, but even he likes this. You can still taste the “chardy” flavor, but the sauce balances it well.

These are also great for a brunch or an afternoon snack, and they are an awesome way to use premade cheese sauce. If you make a batch ahead of time and keep it in the fridge, this warm and toasty breakfast is a breeze to make, even when you're half asleep. I've been known to just add raw, chopped baby spinach and skip the sautéing part altogether.

You can substitute any kind of greens you fancy, but the lighter ones, like spinach and chard, will probably work the best.

Chard Florentine on Toast Points ?

Makes 8 generous toast points (4 bread slices)

Cheezy Sauce (Thick Version)

step 1
Melt margarine in a saucepan over medium-low heat (not too hot!). Once the margarine is melted, add the flour and whisk (you actually need a whisk for this) until dissolved, forming a paste (like a roux).

step 2
Add the miso, tahini, tomato paste, soy sauce (or tamari), and lemon juice. Whisk well until the mixture is sort of thick.

step 3
Slowly whisk in the soy milk, making sure you don't have paste buildup on the sides of the pot.

step 4
Turn the heat up a bit. Add the yeast, salt, and pepper and whisk until thickened. Once the mixture starts to boil, it should be sufficiently thick. Keep warm while you prepare the chard and toast points.

Chard and Toast Points

step 1
Preheat the oven to 450 ºF.

step 2
Stack the chard leaves on top of one another, three to four at a time, and roll lengthwise. With a sharp chef's knife, slice the chard into thin strips. Without moving the chard, turn your knife 90 degrees and slice across the strips to make smaller pieces. You don't have to be exact; you just want to get the chard reasonably small.

step 3
Put 1 teaspoon or so of vegetable oil into a large wok or large skillet on high heat. Add the chard, garlic, and salt and cook until it is much reduced in volume and stalks are tender crisp. (You should have 1 cup of cooked-down chard.)

Ingredients

Cheezy Sauce (Thick Version):

cup Earth Balance margarine

cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon white or red miso

1 tablespoon tahini

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce or tamari

1 tablespoon lemon juice

(or substitute 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar)

1 cup soy milk

cup nutritional yeast

1 to 2 pinches salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

Chard and Toast Points:

1 head chard

1 teaspoon oil

2 to 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin (
optional
)

1 pinch salt

4 slices good-quality bread

(
I prefer sourdough
)

Paprika

step 4
Place the chard into the cheezy sauce and mix well. Spread on the bread slices and sprinkle unevenly (but not heavily) with paprika, which will help to create a cheezier look.